FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
SternbergMuseum to Host Greensburg Day
Hays, Kansas, November 17, 2007 – What do tornadoes, meteorites, and disaster preparedness have in common? A number of Hays-area community organizations are combining forces to present Greensburg Day, a series of fun, educational activities relating to meteorites, tornadoes, and emergency preparedness. The fun starts Friday night, November 16, with a “Meteorite Movie Marathon” from 7 p.m. – midnight at the Hays Public Library. Then, from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Saturday, November 17, the SternbergMuseum lobby will be filled with hands-on activities, displays, and live presentations. All events are free, although some activities encourage donations to benefit Greensburg.
The idea for Greensburg Day was conceived after SternbergMuseum agreed to temporarily houseGreensburg’s famous 1000 lb. Pallasite Meteorite. The “space wanderer” had its home at the BigWellMuseum until May 4, 2007 when a massive EF5 tornado leveled 95% of the town.
Displaysinclude a working tornado from the National Weather Service and a collection of tornado artifacts from Greensburg, including the demolished tornado siren that sounded the alarm for more than 20 minutes before being silenced by the monster. Ellis County Emergency Management and the Red Cross will teach you how to prepare your family and pets for disaster. The Hays Police Department will conduct their Ident-a-Kid program. Kids can do hands-on weather science activities while parents look over a collection of tornado photographs and videos, ponder barbed wire tornado art from the Kansas Barbed Wire Museum in LaCrosse, or review Greensburg’s rebuilding plans.
Children and adults can record their own weather forecast in a complete TV weather studio provided by HaysHigh School. For a small donation to the Greensburg Big Well fund, budding meteorologists can take home a DVD of their “broadcast.”
For the astronomy lover, the museum is hosting a display about Antarctic Meteoritesfrom NASA, a collection of meteorites from around the world, and meteorite identification where visitors may bring in their own specimens.
Live presentations will be held each hour starting at 10:00 a.m., when TV producers from Discovery Channel’s newPlanetGreen network will talk about filming an upcoming series entitled Greensburg Eco-Town. Other presentations include: 11:00 a.m., Dr. John Heinrichs from FortHaysStateUniversity talking about tornado research; 12:00, Dr. Donald Stimpson and Karen Martin on the history of Greensburg’s Big Well and the Pallasite Meteorite; 1:00 p.m., Larry Ruthi, Chief Meteorologist from the National Weather Service in Dodge City on the storm system that spawned the Greensburg tornado; 2:00 p.m., Pat Wirth and Ann Dixson, Greenburg residents, a first hand account of the tornado; 3:00 p.m., Addie Homburg, Ellis County emergency manager on emergency preparedness; 4:00 p.m., Dr. Stimpson onmeteorites and meteorite hunting; 5:00 p.m., Steve Hewitt Greensburg city administrator on the rebuilding of Greensburg. The events will conclude at 7:00 p.m. when Dr. Paul Adams will talk about Meteor Showers and MeteoriteFalls. After Dr. Adams talk, a sky watch is scheduled to view the Leonid Meteor Shower and other astronomical delights.
Individuals wishing to share their experiences about events in Greensburg, or those who have unique tornado stories are invited to be interviewed for the “Tornado Tales”oral history project. Copies of interviews will be deposited with the Kansas State Historical Society, Kiowa County Historical Society, GreensburgTornadoMuseum, and the Ellis County Historical Society.
To raise money for the reconstruction of the BigWellMuseum in Greensburg, SternbergMuseum will host a benefit raffle.In addition, collectible souvenirs salvaged from the Big Well Gift Shop will be available as gifts when you make a monetary donation. A Greensburg food vendor will serve a light lunch with proceeds going to the Ministerial Alliance in Greensburg.
For Greensburg residents or anyone elsewanting to visit other attractions, the Hays Convention and Visitors Bureau will be offering trips to the Hays Arts Council, Hays Downtown Revitalization, Historic Fort Hays, and Cathedral of the Plains in Victoria.
For more information and a detailed schedule, call toll free at 877-332-1165 visit us on the web at and click on the Greensburg Day link.
Contact:
Brad Penka
SternbergMuseum of Natural History
3000 Sternberg Drive
Hays, Kansas 67601
785-628-5569
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